Unmedicated. The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness

Unmedicated. The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness

The following is an excerpt from Madisyn Taylor's new book, "Unmedicated: The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness." If you would like to purchase the book, click here.

When we think of medication in the traditional sense, we think about pills taken on a daily basis to provide relief from a specific ailment. Our doctor writes us a prescription for what ails us and we begin the regimen. Normally we accept the medication without question, because we fully believe it will make us well and we trust our doctor with our health. In many cases, this belief is warranted. In these situations, the medication has a direct intent and use, and taken for a period of time, it can give much-needed relief and healing.

Unmedicated offers an alternative, holistic path for people who want to heal themselves from the crippling effects that excessive reliance on medications such as antidepressants can create in the body, mind, and spirit. I hear too often from my friends, colleagues, or those who write to me through DailyOM, "I'm suffering on medication." This book is for them and for you--for anyone who wants to be their healthiest. I want to provide a new, gentle option--a guide based on the assumption that you know best the roots of what debilitates you and prevents you from living fully. I'm a big believer in taking your health into your own hands, which really means taking your life into your own hands.

You must advocate for your own health because nobody else is going to. You must practice being inquisitive, informed, and proactive. At first it may be challenging and maybe even intimidating to question your doctor. I know firsthand because I had to learn to find the courage to speak up. Now, whenever I am offered medication, I always ask these two questions:

1. Is there a lifestyle change I can make first to avoid taking this medication?
2. Is there an underlying, root cause of the condition?

It isn't always possible to find the answers, but I always investigate first, and being informed leaves me feeling empowered rather than deflated. When you decide to really advocate for your own health, it means having a conversation with your doctor and then researching on your own. I check the website of the pharmaceutical company to read side effects and studies, I check with friends to see if they have taken the medication, and I look online for any negative feedback from other people who have taken it.

I do the same thing when exploring an alternative: Is there an herbal or homeopathic remedy? A lifestyle or dietary change I can make? For too long we have given our power away to our doctors. If you are fortunate enough to have a family doctor who has known you well and for a long time, count yourself lucky. Most people have multiple doctors for different ailments and have zero personal connection with their caregivers. Because we often lack a relationship with our doctors, there is a disconnect, and we simply take the prescription order and fill it; we assume that is what is best for us. Maybe the prescription is best for you, but you owe it to yourself to find out why.

There are other types of medication, though, besides pharmaceuticals--the type we use to self-medicate, such as addictive behaviors involving food, social media, work, sex, gambling, alcohol, isolation, and illicit drugs. We tend to self-medicate to numb ourselves of an emotional pain, past abuse, or trauma; we want to protect ourselves from the deep pain we don't want to feel. I know this from personal experience.

All of these types of behaviors throw a blanket over us so we no longer have to feel our feelings or participate in life fully, with an open heart. We are so brilliant as a human species that we have a built-in protection system to keep us from harm, and each of us chooses what seems to fit appropriately. Any behavior you engage in to make you not feel your emotional pain could be considered self-medicating.

Slowly, over time, these behaviors take hold, become addictive, and take over your existence, often without your recognizing it. We know about the destructive habits of illicit drug use, but we may not notice how the behavior of isolation can become detrimental to our well-being. When isolation becomes a firmly rooted belief in your life, shielding yourself from friendships and relationships, it can silently evolve into a deep fear that prevents you from ever leaving your house. Because there is no blood test needed for this, we pass it off as just wanting to be alone.

Or maybe you enjoy your wine each day after work but don't realize when, at some point, it shifts into needing the wine each day rather than just enjoying it--the point where one glass becomes two or three. Or perhaps you feel bored, which leads you to spend countless hours online, surfing the internet with no real purpose or value. You don't recognize that the boredom and isolation are signs of depression; you don't recognize that getting tipsy or drunk each day allows you to ignore feelings that desperately want to be acknowledged.

All of these physical and emotional behaviors and actions derail you from living your best and most fulfilled life. You don't mean to do it, and you aren't a bad person or a failure for taking up these behaviors. Like I shared in my own story, by continuing to ignore and numb my feelings, these behaviors never went away but instead manifested as debilitating illness, depression, and anxiety. Fortunately, all of my self-medicating behaviors changed and I am healthy now, and you can do the same thing if you take the time and dedicate yourself to improving your wellness.

DailyOM Course Spotlight

by Abi Carver

One of the reasons yoga is so effective at alleviating pain in the lower back, neck and shoulders is that it works on a number of different levels simultaneously--loosening up joint restrictions, stretching tight muscles, re-activating weak muscles, adjusting alignment, relaxing the body and calming the mind. Yoga--along with a few other simple techniques--can be really effective at relieving the pain. We can release tension, restore range of motion and re-activate weakened muscles. A regular yoga practice has the potential to prevent and heal injury, to make you stronger, fitter, more supple, to enhance your physical performance and to sharpen your mental focus. However, with everything you have to do, we know that you don't have time to find a 90-minute yoga for recovery class to attend every week. That's why Abi Carver put together this course to distill and simplify this crucial aspect of your wellbeing into 15-minute guided video practices.